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Samuel Orcutt-
The History of Stratford
Golden Hill Reservation
General Court, May, 1659. This court
having considered the business respecting the Indians at Pequannock, and the
difference twixt Stratford and Fairfield about the said Indians; do see cause
to order that according unto the desire of the Indians they may quickly possess
and enjoy from henceforth and for the future, that parcel of land called Gold
Hill; and there shall be forthwith so much land laid out within the liberties
of Fairfield of Fairfield as the Committee appointed by the Court shall judge
fit, and in as convenient a place as may best answer the desire and benefit of
the Indians aforementioned, for the future. And the
said committee is to see so much land laid out within the bounds of
The committee appointed by the Court to
see this order put into execution are, of Norwalk, Mr. Canfield, Mr. Fitch,
Richard Olmstead, Nathaniel Elye, who are bound out
the lands at gold Hill, about 80 acres, beginning at the foot of the hill where
the wigwams stood, and to run upwards on the hill and within Fairfield bounds,
as is above mentioned. And the said committee is to make return to the Court in
October, what they do in reference to this order.
The Report of the Committee
Loving neighbors of Stratford we whose
names are underwritten have according to the order we had from General Court
without any respect to persons considered of the value that Fairfield men shall
pay to Stratford for the 80 acres of land that the Indians do possess at Paquannocke with a due consideration of the land and the
place where it lies, wherein we are agreed and do appoint that the Fairfield
men shall pay to the Stratford men for the 80 acres of land that the Indians do
possess at Paquannocke, twenty pound; this to be paid
in beefe, porke, wheat, and
pease. Of beefe 2 barrels,
[and] of porke, good and merchantable, and this to be
paid of
When this settlement was effected in
obedience to the directions of the Court, an arrangement was made directly with
the Indians.
Agreement
between the Indians of Pequannock and the inhabitants of
Whereas there hath been a difference between
the Indians of Pequannock and the inhabitants of Stratford, for the issuing of
which it is agreed the Indians aforesaid acknowledging their former irregular
carriage and misdemeanor and promising reformation in the particulars hereafter
mentioned, it is then agreed that the aforesaid Indians shall have liberty to
plant and improve the land between the fence that the Indians made and the
bounds which the committee laid for the aforesaid Indians, till they shall
forfeit the same in the apprehension of the inhabitants of Stratford by
breaking their engagement in the particulars following
The Indians do hereby engage not to kill
or any way molest our cattle and swine.
They ingadge to meddle with none of our corn or pease to steale from us.
They do ingadge
so to mayntayne their fence which joynes
to the fence of the Inhabitants of Stratford that the corn may be secured, and
if any damage comes through any defect in their fence they are to make
satisfaction.
They are further, to keep up their fence
winter and summer to prevent damaging either them or us.
They do further engage to suffer none of
the inhabitants of Fayrefeyld and those of the
farmers to get in or drive any cattle through the aforesaid ground which the
Indians improve, that is to say the whole bounds layed
out by the committee upon and about Golden Hill.
These Indians aforesaid are well
satisfied with what the committee had done, every particular, and concerning
the two highways likewise.
These Indians have subscribed in the
name of all the rest, this 24th April 1660.
Thus rested the question of the
ownership of the soil of
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